Q&A: meet Kirklandd, hip-hop artist embraces new craft

As winter closed out, Kirklandd introduced us to his new single SIIYE, the first of his three part series of singles titled The Love Divide. The first single in the series talks to that inward conflict and regret that many people at some stage in their life fall victim to. The track is fuelled by trap-pop sonics and a punk like melody. It’s giving us a Blink 182 meets 6LACK moment, vibes all day. 

The Canberra local, is adding to the huge quality of hip-hop artists coming out of Australia at the moment. We’ve been bubbling for a while now but you only have to take a listen to Kirklandd to really understand the depth we are now so lucky to have.  

The Love Divide is a trilogy of songs that take place in 3 seperate moments, each experienced in a past relationship. We’ve really sensed a shift in the flow and sound from what Kirklandd has delivered over the years. He has taken a new direction and showcasing his versatility with his recent release. We think this might be partly due to the nature of the series itself and what Kirklandd is trying to represent. AH we’re over the tease, drop the series now so we can binge it! The music video has left us wanting more. 

We caught up our slice from the Capital to talk about his new music, his favourite type of cheese and the rush of performing live.

Check out all the feels below through a snippet of our conversation:

How did you get into creating music, when did you know it was for you?

I started writing lyrics when I was eight. I spent a couple of years writing low-key corny R&B songs and evolved into writing hip-hop at age ten. I wrote an insane amount of music in those early years, and I had four albums under my belt when I was 15. But it was just a hobby I quietly obsessed over growing up, and the craft was pure. It wasn’t until I finished school, went to Europe and spent four months on my own that I realised it was my longest serving passion. After I came back from that trip I started pursuing music more seriously, and everything followed from there.

Talk us through your new track SIIYE, what does this song mean to you?

SIIYE means a lot to me, stylistically and personally. It taps into an emotional moment I faced in a recent relationship, and I worked meticulously on writing melodies that channelled the emotion I felt accurately. I got so focused on capturing this feeling that SIIYE is my first song without any rapping in it at all – it stays slowly melodic to keep you planted in the emotion of the song.

Talk us through the making of your music video for SIIYE.

I intentionally wanted to make SIIYE the most minimal video I’ve done, taking place just after the moment I explore in the song. Something’s clearly just gone down, and I drive off and unpack what’s happening. I’m faced with feelings of regret, guilt, and I suddenly snap back to reality when I see someone on the side of the road. Keep an eye for Chapter Two to find out who she is.

Which has been your favourite festival to perform at and why?

Damn, that’s a tough call. Last year was our first year of playing festivals, and it was wild. Groovin’ was crazy special because it was our first festival, and we shared it with our hometown. Spilt Milk was crazy lit. But NYE on the Hill was the most euphoric, enlivening experience we’ve had at a festival. It took place about two hours West of Melbourne, in a scenic, beautiful landscape of endless hills. The culture they’ve created there is truly incredible, and we played back to back with The Living End on New Year’s Eve. It was something we’ll never forget.

Do you get nervous when you perform in front of a large crowd?

I feel anticipation for what’s ahead, and I let that excite me. I don’t know the last time I felt nervous though. I can only recall feeling that way if I haven’t felt fully prepared, in myself or in the performance. But that’s rare, I always give my everything to our fans live.

What’s it like working with SupportAct?

Oh man, that was such a cool thing to happen for this tour. I’ve worked with organisations like Oxfam and Global Citizen before on a couple of tours, and with The Love Divide Experience (our upcoming virtual tour) I wanted to have a call to action to raise funds for those affected by COVID-19, in the music industry specifically. I’ve been following Support Act for some time now, and I felt like they were the perfect partner for the tour. When I reached out and they were receptive, we built a joint fundraiser together, which our fans can donate to as we stream the Experience.

How did the name Kirklandd come about?

Kirkland’s my last name, and Daniel’s my first, hence the extra D. I’ve never believed in crafting an alias for my music – I always want it to be an accurate representation of who I am, my experiences, and my growth, and I wanted to use my own name so my listeners can have that clear relationship with me as a person, not just as an artist.

What’s your favourite type of cheese?

Damn, brie maybe? Yeah, brie.

Mcdonalds, Hungry Jacks, Red Rooster or KFC?

Out of those, Red Rooster. A whole chicken? Big vibe.

Are you excited to release your three part series The Love Divide, can you tell us a little bit about that?

I’m crazy excited man. I’ve been crafting the project for the past 6 months, during a period that’s been the most illuminating and educating time I’ve had in my entire life. All of my growth in myself, my relationships and my craft is embodied in this trilogy, and I really hope that growth is what resonates with people when they hear this sound. And SIIYE is only the start.

Man brie is great but d'affinois is where it is at, if you haven’t tried it get to Coles now. Kirklandd is delivering quality tracks and like we said earlier we are ready for what’s to come with The Love Divide around the corner.

Listen to his latest release below and follow our Vibes Vibes Vibes ✨ playlist to discover more tracks like this one.

By Samuel Seedsman.